Diaper rinser and wringing device

ABSTRACT

A DIAPER RINSER AND WRINGING DEVICE IS DISCLOSED THAT ENABLES SOILED DIAPERS TO BE BOTH RINSED AND WRUNG OUT MANUALLY WITHOUR TOUCHING THE DIAPER, THE TOILET BOWL OR TOILET WATER. THE DEVICE CONSISTS OF A HOLLOW HOUSING OR CASING A COMBINATION WITH A DIAPER HOLDER THAT EXTENDS THROUGH THE HOUSING TO GRASP THE SOILED DIAPER. AFTER RINSING, ONE EMBODIMENT WRINGS OUT THE DIAPER BY DRAWING IT THROUG A RESTRICTED PORTION IN THE CASING. ANOTHER EMBODIMENT DRAWS THE ENTIRE DIAPER INTO THE CASING AND BY MEANS OF A PLUNGER COMPRESSES IT AGAINST THE TOILET BOWL SIDE.

United States Patent Oifice Patented Oct. 5, 1971 3,610,003 DIAPER RINSER AND WRINGING DEVICE Donald E. Perrin, 1802 Broadway Ave., and Hugh W.

Wolchek, 616 Oak Lane, both of Albert Lea, Minn.

56007, and William E. Wolchek, Rte. 2, Monticello,

Minn. 55362 Filed Oct. 3, 1969, Ser. No. 863,581 Int. Cl. D06f /02 US. Cl. 68-214 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A diaper rinser and wringing device is disclosed that enables soiled diapers to be both rinsed and wrung out manually without touching the diaper, the toilet bowl or toilet water. The device consists of a hollow housing or casing in combination with a diaper holder that extends through the housing to grasp the soiled diaper. After rinsing, one embodiment wrings out the diaper by drawing it through a restricted portion in the casing. Another embodiment draws the entire diaper into the casing and by means of a plunger compresses it against the toilet bowl side.

The subject invention contemplates the rinsing and wringing out of soiled baby diapers without touching the diaper itself, the toilet bowl or toilet water in which the diaper is rinsed.

Prior art devices that we are presently aware of are capable of grasping a soiled diaper for rinsing purposes, but require the person performing the operation to hold the soiled diaper itself while wringing it out. For persons interested in employing a device to assist in rinsing diapers, the necessit of manually holding the diaper, even only during the last step of wringing it out, remains undesirable.

Our invention eliminates such handling, and thereby enables a person to rinse and wring out a soiled diaper in a totally sanitary manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 discloses a diaper rinser and wringer holding the edge of a soiled diaper for rinsing in a toilet bowl.

FIG. 2 discloses the diaper rinser and wringer of FIG. 1 in a diaper compressing or wringing position.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the diaper rinsing and wringing device of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the diaper rinsing and wringing device taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is another side cross-sectional view of the diaper rinsing and wringing device, taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 discloses the diaper grasping portion of the rinsing and wringing device shown in FIGS. 1-5.

FIG. 7 is an alternative diaper rinsing and wringing device, shown from the side.

FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the alternative bottom as disclosed in FIG. 7 taken along the line 8-8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 disclose one embodiment of a diaper rinser and wringer that includes an outer housing or casing 11 generally cylindrical in shape. Housing 11 is open at both ends, with funnel '12 formed at the lower end to receive the soiled diaper. At the base of funnel 12 is a restricted throat area 13, the purpose of which will be described below. A smaller funnel 14 is also formed at the top end of housing 11.

An inner casing or sleeve '15, also cylindrical in shape,

is sized for slideable movement within the housing 11 and receives guiding support therefrom. A pair of tongs 16, longer than housing 11, is disposed within inner casing 15 and is pivotally attached thereto by means of a pin 17 inserted through the tongs 16 and a pin receiving portion 18.

FIG. 6 discloses one of the tongs as having a beaded portion 21 while the other is formed with a groove 22 which receives bead 21 and enables a positive hold on a soiled diaper.

Reference is made to FIGS. 1 and 2 for operation of the diaper rinser and wringer, which is carried out in combination with a suitable receptacle for rinsing a soiled diaper, such as a toilet 23 having a toilet bowl 24. After a soiled diaper has been deposited in toilet bowl 24, rinsing is affected by first sliding the inner casing 15 downwardly into outer housing 11 until the tongs 16 extend beyond the lower end of housing 11. Tongs .16 are then manually operated to grasp the diaper edge, and, while holding the tongs 16, the user rinses the soiled diaper with one hand without touching the toilet bowl 23 or toilet water (FIG. 1). After the diaper has been rinsed, water is removed by holding the outer casing 11 with the other hand and drawing the diaper through the restricted throat area 13 and the remainder of housing 11 by means of the tongs 1-6. The inner dimension of throat 13 is chosen to provide sufiicient water removal without excessive restriction on movement of the diaper therethrough.

After the diaper has been drawn completely through the casing 11 (FIG. 2), it can be released into a diaper pail or the like. Inner casing 15 and tongs 16 can then be reinserted into housing 11, as facilitated by funnel 14, for further usage.

FIGS. 7 and 8 disclose an alternative diaper rinser and wringer. This device also includes an outer housing 31 cylindrical in shape but in this case the upper end 32 is closed. The diaper holding means consists in part of a rod 33 which is slideable through an opening 34 formed in closed end 32. The upper end of rod 33 includes a handle 35 for manually sliding the rod while the lower end includes a plunger head 36 and terminates in a corkscrew-type pin 37. It will be understood that other suitable gripping elements may be substituted for the pin device 37. Rod 33 and plunger head 36 are sized to permit free axial and rotational movement of the rod within housing 31. Apertures 38 are formed in housing 31 to permit the flow of water from the device as a diaper is compressed.

In operation, a soiled diaper deposited in a toilet bowl can be picked up by rotating rod 33 to advance screw pin 37 into the diaper. After suflicient rinsing has been completed, the diaper is drawn entirely within housing 31 and the open bottom is placed against the toilet bowl side. By pushing on handle 35, plunger 36 compresses the diaper against the toilet bowl side and causes water to be removed through apertures 38.

With the diaper inside, the diaper rinser and wringer is then held over a diaper pail or the like, and rod 33 is rotated by means of handle 35 to retract screw pin 37 from the diaper. Plunger head 36 can then be moved downwardly again to force the diaper from the tube and into the diaper pail.

The entire operation from rinsing to deposit into the diaper pail is thus carried out in a completely sanitary fashion.

What is claimed is:

1. A diaper rinser and wringer comprising:

a hollow housing having first and second ends of which at least the first end is open, the hollow housing having a predetermined internal cross-sectional dimension;

diaper holding means movable through at least a portion of the hollow housing and extendable beyond the front end to enable the diaper to be grasped and drawn through the first end into the housing, the diaper holding means comprising:

a casing slidable within the hollow housing; and tong means longer than the hollow housing and pivotally connected to the casing; and means associated with the diaper holding means for effecting compression of the diaper to remove water therefrom.

2. The diaper rinser and wringer device described by claim 1, wherein the means associated with the diaper holding means comprises a restricted throat area disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the hollow housing.

3. The device as defined by claim 1, wherein the second end of the hollow housing is open to enable removal of the diaper holding means from the hollow housing.

4. The device as defined by claim 1, wherein the hollow housing is essentially cylindrical.

5. The device as defined by claim 4, wherein the first end forms an outwardly diverging funnel through which the diaper is received.

6. The device as defined by claim 1, wherein apertures are formed in the hollow housing for the passage of water removed from the diaper.

References Cited WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

